Process of producing laundry articles



Patented Dec. 17, 2,224,994

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,224,994 rnocnss or rnonucmc mommy I An-ncms Kurt Thinius, Ellenburg, Germany, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Walther l-I. Duisberg, NewYork,N.Y.

No Drawing. Application January 11,1937, Serlal No. 129,137. In Germany January -23,

4 Claims. (Ci .154-2) This invention relates to the manufacture of acid derivatives, as for instance the esters and laundry articles. v the nitril'es with the vinylmethylether or vinyl- One of its objects is a process of producing imethylether, vinylisobutylether. The esters and proved laundry articles by impregnating them the nitrile of the acrylic acid may be replaced 6 with mixed vinyl polymerizates. Another object by-the corresponding derivatives of the methis the laundry .articles obtained according to this acrylic acid and maleic acid, especially the mixed process. Further objects will be seen from the polymerizates from maleic esters with vinylethyldetailed specification following hereafter. ether. Moreover, all those mixed polymerizates For producing lastingly washable articles from from the above identified monomerides with'such 10 fabrics it is important that the fabrics should monomerides are suited which polymerize only It be as little as possible different in its appearance in mixture, also the threefold or manifold mixed from that of fabric which is'normally washed. polymerizates of the unsaturated monomerides A number of processes havebeen suggested for come into question. As it is possible to adjust retaining in the impregnated .laundry articles the mixing proportions of the compo'nents'of a v their linen-like appearance. Thus, for example, mixed polymerizate to any desired degree any 15 the impregnating agent has been applied in a suitable stiffness of the impregnated fabric may very thin layer. However, this is disadvantabe easily attained. It has been proposed to use geousin that the laundered articles have a short for the production of collars vinyl acetate, theperiod of use. The application of the impregnatmixed polymerizate from vinyl chloride and ing agents, which are insoluble in Water, in the vinyl acetate (which is known bythe trade name 20 form of solutions by means of sprays or rollers Vinylite), or the polystyrene; however; the physiproduce laundry articles which can, indeed, be cal and chemical properties of these products washed but have the disadvantage that when make it necessary that they should be used only slightly damaged by water the film-forming conin admixture with each other in order to obtain stituent is removed after a short time from its the necessary fastness to alkali and ironing and support and so makes the laundry article unstability to light. It has also been shown that usable. Moreover, laundry articles which have in this resp Particularly n ow l ts mn t been produced with the aid of pastes or adhesives be observed in order .to pro the p im contai'ning solvents exhibit a gradually noticef I e t w h use Of the P y able change of their dimensions and forms in mixtures of polymerizates-the new chemical in- 80 consequence of the gradual evaporation of the dividual mixed p y e Of his i vention still retained residue of solvent which occurs have the-iadvantage that they exhibit the propduring long storage. erties, hitherto only obtainable by mixing, united It is further known that lastingly washable in anindividual substance. A further limitation articles in which the external parts are provided the use of the known mixtures 01 p y fl- 35 only with a thin impregnation may be strengthzates is caused by the fact that the fabric must ened with stiffening insertions. These stiffening impregnated h th in th form of $0111- insertions have found admission also into the i n T different solubilities of the vinyl manufacture of pure linen laundry articles, in chloride. V ylites. polystyrenes, obviously makes particularsemi-stifl' collars. Inbotli cases sun the selection of suitable solvents diflicult. If 40 ening insertions of varlous'kinds have been pro- One turns to h p n in f l d y r icle posed which; however, can be comparatively or permanentlywashable goods from colored fabeasily removed from the material and, moreover rie Pr u n must be taken t avoid l din do not give a smooth surface free from objection. of the dyes ufl when usin the solvent for a mix- V '45 The present invention avoids or minimizes tln 0 P Y fi There e s the danger these disadvantages by use for th productionthat a series of fabrics or solvents on account of laundry articles and lastingly washable goods, of their incompatibility c t b used. wh r by. particularly collars, cufls, false fronts or the exam, the range of use f th s k w p ss is like of fabrics from any natural or artificial limited. In contrast herewith the mixed polythreads capable ofbeing spun which are immerizates have the advantage that they are ap- '50 pregnated with a mixed polymerizate of the plicable wholly without a solvent, for example vinyl group. in' the form of an aqueous emulsion or suspen- Suitable mixed polymerizates which are fast sion or by taking advantage of their thermoto ironing in consequence of their high softening plastic properties. In the latter, case the union point, are the mixed polymerizates from acrylic with the fabric becomes a process of melting the 5| mixed polymerizate so that removal from the fabric as a consequence of impenetrating moisture cannot occur. The possibility to apply the mixed polymerizates in form of their aqueous emulsions is of particular advantage, because today the mixed polymerizates are mostly prepared in the form of emulsions, so that this intermediate form of the polymerizate may immediately find a utilization in the technique. The properties of these mixed polymerizates may be adapted for particular purposes by addition of softening agents, fulling agents, waxes or the like.

' In particular, semi-stiff collars, cuffs, false fronts and other laundry articles can be produced by using the fabric impregnated with the said mixed polymerizates as an intermediate layer. The external layers of the article, for instance of a collar, may be of any white or colored fabric, I

for instance a natural and/or artificial spun fiber, with 'or without impregnation; for example, a laundry collar in conformity with the invention may be constructed as follows:

The intermediate layer consisting of a fabric woven from a small number of threads is impregnated with an emulsion of a mixed polymerizate from acrylic acid nitrile and vinyl isobutylether or from acrylic acid nitrile and acrylic acid methyl ester in known manner; on both sides of this layer there is united with the fabric a nonimpregnated linen fabric by means of pressure and heat. The union is insoluble and completely firm, since it is produced by a process of melting the mixed polymerizate. The linen character of the two exposed surfaces remains unchanged. This half-stiff collar is capable of being washed. In this operation it does not require starching but only ironing to make it usable. By the application of an aqueous emulsion it is achieved in a simple manner that the natural porosity of the fabric is preserved and that without special processes a stiffening intermediate layer permeable to air and moisture is obtained. The impregnation may be carried out according to a dipping process or by means of brushes. The goodunion of the intermediate layer impreg'nated with our mixed polymerizates with the fabric layers of a collar which is lasting and fast to boiling due to the application of warmth and pressure which latter need not be greater than the pressure exerted by the pressing iron allows of carrying out the impregnation in such a manner that surfaces of the fabric of the same or different sizes and at regular or irregular distances from each other are impregnated, so that the total impregnated surface has a chequered texture. By using as the collar portion and/or'neck portion an impregnated fabric there is obtained a lastingly washable collar. The fabric which is used as the neck portion and/or collar portion may be impregnated either with the same or with a different mixedpolymerizate of the vinyl group as that used for impregnating the whole. So also it is possible to obtain a lastingly washable collar which is permeable to air and moismm by impregnating the external fabric as described above. A lastingly washable collar is obtained which i. particularly comfortable in use by making the .ollar portion of imp"egnated fabric and using for the neck portion pure linen.

These two parts are combined 'w'itlithe'impregnated stiffening intermediate layer by use of pressure and heat to produce fusion. A similar construction is applicable in the same manner for cuifs and false fronts.

It has also been found that very durable stiffening of a laundry article (for instance collars, cuifs, false fronts or the like) may be obtained by using for the production of the intermediate layer a mixed fabric made by weaving impregnated threads with non-impregnated threads. For the impregnation the aforesaid mixed polymerizates are again advantageous; there may be produced an ordinary article having good permeability to air and moisture, since it is necessary in the new kind of union of the parts by fusion of the polymeride to use only a few of the impregnated threads per sq. cm. of mixed fabric as this suffices to produce 'very permanent and effective stiffening. Such stiffening insertions madefrom fabrics impregnated with the said mixed polymerizates are suitable also in such collars and cuffs permanently connected with the shirt. It is further possible by use of a suitable thickness of the impregnating layer of the intermediate piece to combine with union by pressure and heat of this intermediate layer with the externalpart of a collar or a cuif an impregnation of the external part without destroying the woven structure of the layer, and with retention of the capacity for being washed. This is of particular advantage for the stiffening of the collar and cuffs permanently connected with the shirt. Such laundry articles provided with intermediate layers need not be starched. They are fast to washing and ironing. In their resistance to alkali they difier advantageously from the hitherto usually impregnated laundry articles. A yellowing after several washings in consequence of insufficient removal of the alkali does not occur. In consequence of the intimate union of the impregnating agent with the fabric produced by the melting process removal of the impregnation or the stiffening intermediate layer need not be feared even after very long use and frequent washing; since, in the production of such laundry articles no volatile solvents are used, changes of shape and dimensions and a bleeding of dyestuffs are excluded.

What I claim is:

1. A process of producing semi-stiff laundry articles, which comprises impregnating a fabric with an aqueous emulsion of a mixed polymerizate of a vinyl ether with a compound selected from the group consisting of nitriles and esters of unsaturated aliphatic carboxylic acids, and uniting the coherent film with further layers of fabric at an elevated temperature and at a pressure equal to that exercised by a pressing iron.

2. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the unsaturated aliphatic carboxylic acid is maleic acid.

3. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the unsaturated aliphatic carboxylic'acid is acrylic acid.

4. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the 

